Mr Hind and officials met T&G representatives in Flint on Wednesday to offer £8 an hour rising with inflation until October 2009.

He said: “The overall package moves earnings up by 20%. So it’s not an insignificant deal. I believe it will be ahead of inflation.”

Mr Hind, MD of Arriva North West and Wales, said on the long talks at the T&G’s Flint offices: “There was no appetite for industrial action.”

“A few individuals were doing some stirring. You always get the canteen talk and the people not in the negotiations stirring things up.

“There hasn’t been a strike in Welsh garages for 20 years. The relationship between management and unions is very good in this area.”

Arriva, which has depots in Wrexham, Rhyl, Llandudno Junction, Bangor, Aberystwyth and Chester, believes it has reached agreement.

Mr Hind added: “There will be a ballot on Thursday. We hope that will settle everything and we can all get on with our jobs. I am optimistic.”

The union’s previous three-year pay deal expired in August 2006. Some unionists had wanted year by year deals in future.

But Mr Hind said: “Some people like negotiations every year. I’m not sure this is the best way.”

He believes most people prefer the ‘stability’ of a longer deal.

The offer reflects how valued its drivers are, he said.

Liverpool-based Mr Hind, on a visit to Arriva’s Llandudno Junction depot, said being a bus driver was “not an easy job” with shift work and road hazards.

Last night T&G spokeswoman Liz Lewis said branch secretaries had agreed to call off industrial action planned for Monday, May 21. Branch secretaries are informing members about the pay offer before the ballot.

She added: “Arriva have improved the offer. We had a wish list but it’s not everything we wanted.”

The ballot result will be known within 10 days.

Earlier this month, one Arriva employee had warned: “If we all went out on the same day, there would basically be no public transport. There’d be almost nothing – a blanket white-out across North Wales. We are looking at major, major disruption.”

Drivers in North Wales are paid £7 an hour. The pay offer will take this to £8 an hour.

Counterparts on Merseyside are on £8.30 an hour, and have been offered, and have rejected, £9.13 an hour by Arriva, partly to compensate for busier schedules because of Liverpool being 2008 Capital of Culture.